"Are we really walkin' into town, Sol?" Eridan asked, rubbing his temples due to his still lingering headache. He and Sollux had stepped off of the last step of the apartment stairwell, and Sollux made his way towards the sidewalk after crossing the parking lot, Eridan following. He smiled at Eridan's words.

"You shouldn't hide your stutter, Eridan," he replied, avoiding Eridan's question. Eridan's eyes widened as Sollux continued. "I think its cute," he teased, although he really meant it. It was the cutest damn thing that Sollux had ever heard. He was pretty happy with that part of Drunk-Eridan.

"Fuck you, Sol. It's not cute, and I'm fuckin' pissed that you brought that up," Eridan complained already, looking away as he blew a lock of purple hair out of his face. Sollux chuckled.

"I mean it, Eri," he assured, hoping that the nickname would soften him up slightly. It didn't.

"I couldn't give two shits if you meant it or not, fact is you're wrong. Its stupid, and you're a hypocrite," he replied. Sollux looked at him in a slight surprise, eyebrows raising.

"How am I a hypocrite?"

"Your lisp, Sol. Don't think that I don't remember your lisp." Eridan smiled then. "You want to talk about the cutest thing, lets talk about that lisp a' yours…"

"I'm not a car person, Eridan. Why do you think that I walk everywhere? So, yeah. We're walking into town," Sollux replied, quickly changing the subject off of his horrid lisp, that he worked ever-so-hard to mask, as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He couldn't hide his surprise as Eridan walked close to him. He looked at him, then looked forward again, another smile playing on his lips.

"You're not a car person? Why?" Eridan prodded, causing Sollux's faint smile to fade.

"It's a past thing, don't worry about it," Sollux replied quickly. Eridan huffed.

"Great. So I'm not goin' to get to know about your past, and you're not goin' to get to know about mine," he mumbled, looking away as they walked. Sollux looked at him, eyebrow rising.

"Who said that I'm not going to get to know about your past?"

"I did," Eridan replied immediately, still not looking at Sollux. Sollux sighed, shaking his head and looking forward.

This was going to be hard as hell. Eridan didn't want to talk about his self and his past, and Sollux didn't want to talk about his self and his past either. How the hell were they going to form a relationship if they hardly knew each other?

Sollux looked down at his mismatched shoes. He watched them for a while as they walked, chewing on his bottom lip. Those were two bad habits of his. He watched as Eridan's stride matched his own, thinking a moment as he continued to chew on his lip. Well. He could start with that and see where things went…

"I have a lot of bad habits," he started, causing Eridan to slowly look at him in a slight surprise. Sollux glanced at him, then continued. "I stare at my feet as I walk a great majority of the time. I chew on my lip far too much. I slouch a lot. Sometimes if I get bored with people, I just drown them out and watch their lips move as they speak."

This made Eridan laugh, and Sollux looked up at him with a slight smile. He looked at the other a moment before he looked forward. He was thinking about what else to say, but he was beat by Eridan to the next line.

"I have a lot of bad habits too," he admitted, and Sollux looked over at him. Eridan smiled at Sollux, then looked forward. "I'm a perfectionist, which is one of them. I can't let anythin' go, which is another. I have a bad habit of sayin' whatever is on my mind. I let little things bother me. I interrupt people a lot-…"

"All of which I know," Sollux teased, causing Eridan to punch him in the shoulder. Sollux laughed, though that actually kind of hurt. He had a high tolerance for pain, but Eridan was fucking strong.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Eridan asked, almost cautiously as he played with the ends of his scarf. Sollux looked forward. He thought a moment before looking back at Eridan.

"I don't know. Just…Tell me random shit," Sollux laughed. Eridan smiled at him, then looked forward.

"Um…I really like Iced Tea. Like, I really like Iced Tea," he began. "I love the smell of Dove soap. I love the ocean. Not so much the beach, just the ocean. I love to fly on planes. I like to read fantasy books and I like to watch Disney movies. Whenever I'm bored, you'll either find me drawin' in my sketchbook or workin' out at the gym. Although I'm pretty healthy, I really love sweets…"

As Eridan went on and on, Sollux just stared at him fondly. Man, he talks with his hands. With every statement, Eridan moved his hands every which way. The passion in his eyes when he talked about what he loved was amazing, and Sollux couldn't help but to feel for him even more. Everything that Eridan was saying literally made him more and more perfect. It didn't matter if it was something as little as Eridan liking the smell of a fucking brand of soap, Sollux found it more endearing.

Sollux didn't even realize that Eridan had stopped talking until Eridan looked at him, eyebrow raising slightly.

"Are you…Starin' at me?" He asked, jolting Sollux out of his thoughts. Sollux blinked a few times, forcing the blush back before it made its way to his cheeks.

"Huh?" Sollux replied stupidly, causing Eridan to smile slightly.

"You were fuckin' gawkin' at me, Sol," he replied with a laugh, and Sollux shoved him, speeding his pace slightly.

"Yeah, so maybe I was. I can't help it, you're fucking hot," Sollux replied with a smile. He waited for the blush on Eridan's cheeks, but it didn't come. Eridan merely shrugged in reply, his pace matching Sollux's.

"I know," he replied vainly, chin held high as he looked over at Sollux, a smile playing on his lips. Sollux raised his eyebrows.

"Whoa, look at you!" Sollux said, holding his hands up as he looked forward. "Excuse me, Mr. Man!"

Eridan laughed, grabbing one of Sollux's hands and yanking it down. He didn't let go, though, and Sollux's heart sped slightly as Eridan laced his fingers with the Gemini's. Sollux slowly lowered his other hand, looking down at their intertwining fingers before looking up at Eridan, who was looking ahead, looking completely natural. Sollux looked ahead too, lacing his fingers back with Eridan's. Eridan squeezed his hand affectionately, and that simple action caused Sollux to look straight back down at his feet, heart racing even more.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way into town. Sollux thought that he would be bothered by the numerous stares that they received from multiple people over the fact that their hands were clasped together, but he wasn't. In fact, it wasn't even like there were other people around. Eridan was really all that mattered, and that was a wonderful feeling.

"So…Is this a date?" Eridan asked slowly, finally breaking the comfortable silence between them. Sollux looked over at him, smiling slightly.

"Duh," he replied, causing Eridan to smile slightly in return.

"Where are we goin'?" Eridan asked, looking around at the old town. Sollux shrugged.

"Its early, we have all day. I was thinking that first we could go to the aquarium-"

"Really?!" Eridan exclaimed in excitement, causing Sollux to look at him quickly and laugh.

"Wow, yeah, I thought you'd like that," he said with a laugh. "I haven't been there since I was a kid, so I think that it'd be kinda fun," he finished with a smile. Eridan's hand clasped tighter onto Sollux's. Damn. Sollux knew that Eridan liked sea creatures, but he didn't know it was to this extent.

It turned out that Sollux didn't even know the half of it. Eridan was practically a child again through the aquarium, and Sollux had trouble keeping up with him. The way that his face lit up throughout the whole thing brought a huge amount of happiness to Sollux, that it was almost confusing. He hadn't been this happy in a while. Not since Aradia, actually. And it was strange, because it seemed as though he was more happy with Eridan than he had been with Aradia. When he was with her, he was almost sure that he could never be happier. And now, the more and more time that he spent with Eridan, it seemed as though that statement could very well be disproved.

They were in the last section of the aquarium, staring at the manta rays and how smoothly they moved. Eridan slid his hand into Sollux's again, and Sollux's smile couldn't help but to match Eridan's. They watched the manta rays swim for a while before Eridan spoke.

"I used to go to the aquarium with my family, before my mom died," he said.

The statement amazed Sollux slightly. Eridan never talked about his family, let alone his mom. The fact that he was mentioning something that they all use to do was a bit surprising to Sollux. Sollux looked at Eridan as the Aquarius watched the giant sea creature swim. He didn't know what to say, but that was okay because Eridan continued.

"My mom didn't work, but she didn't just stay at home either. She loved to go deep sea divin' and swim with the fishes and stuff. Every time we went to the aquarium, she would tell us everythin' we could ever want to know about each species." He sighed, looking away from the manta ray and over at the reef in the large tank. "I suppose that's why I liked Fef so much." he said slowly, surprising Sollux further. "She was a lot like my mom…"

Yup, there it was. Sollux's heart immediately broke for Eridan. Sollux furrowed his eyebrows in sadness, squeezing Eridan's hand as he stepped closer to the other. Did Sollux want to kiss him? Well, Sollux always wanted to kiss him…But in this moment? Sollux settled for slipping his hand out of Eridan's and sliding his arms around the sad male.

The comforting motion seemed to shock Eridan. He stood there a moment, a bit confused before he relaxed, realizing that Sollux was comforting him. This broke Sollux's heart into even tinier pieces. Eridan was so un-use to the comfort and affection, and that made Sollux…So fucking sad.

"It's okay, Eridan," Sollux said softly, which immediately caused Eridan to tense as tears threatened his eyes. He hugged Sollux back tightly, sniffling to keep the tears at bay.

"Shut the fuck up, Sol, you're gonna' make me cry," he mumbled, burying his face into Sollux's hair. Sollux ignored his demand, closing his eyes as he hugged his roommate close.

He knew that they were probably getting weird stares, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was making sure that Eridan knew that he was cared for, and that he wasn't alone. Sollux knew more than well what that feeling was like. He always had Karkat, but sometimes we all need more than just a best friend.

"Hey Sol?" Eridan said softly.

"Yeah, Eri?" Sollux replied. Eridan pulled back slightly, his face no longer buried into Sollux's dark hair. His eyes met Sollux's, and he looked genuinely interested.

"What's your mom like?" He asked.

Frick. That one hurt. Sollux's content expression fell into one of conflicted feelings. Good thing that Sollux was on his meds. Any time that his mom was mentioned when Sollux was clean of his medication only ever ended badly. He cleared his throat, but he didn't break their gaze.

"My mom's dead too, Eridan," he replied softly. Eridan looked at him in pure horror, and before Sollux could reassure him, Eridan shook his head.

"Shit, we need to get off this fuckin' subject," Eridan demanded, straightening as he took a deep breath and smiled. "Where are we goin' next?" He asked, bringing a smile to Sollux's lips.

"How about lunch? You haven't eaten yet," Sollux suggested, and Eridan merely shrugged.

"You ate a couple hours ago, and I'm not that hungry," Eridan replied. Fuck. This guy, like, never eats. Sollux sighed, smile still present.

"Then how about we grab some coffee at the coffee shop a couple blocks from here, and we grab a pastry so that you at least eat something," Sollux suggested once again, making Eridan smile.

"I can't deny a pastry," he replied, making Sollux laugh.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you mentioned that sweet tooth thing," Sollux chuckled, re-grabbing Eridan's hand as he led them out of the Aquarium.

They grabbed some coffee's and they ate their pastries for lunch. They didn't have any further plans for the day, so they just sat in the coffee shop for a few hours. All they did was talk and laugh and get to know one another.

Sollux was never aware that one could actually feel their feelings for someone growing. He thought that when you liked someone or loved someone, it just sort of happened, and you didn't realize it until it smacked you upside the face. But this was different. He could slowly feel himself feeling more and more for his roommate, absolutely amazed at the feelings that he was experiencing in quick time.

He wouldn't deny; Eridan had many flaws. Many flaws. But it was slowly reaching the point that Sollux didn't mind them at all. In fact, even Eridan's flaws seemed perfect. Was that even fucking possible?

Once again, he hadn't realized that he was staring at Eridan. This time, though, it wasn't Eridan that jolted him out of his thoughts. It was the fact that Sollux had realized that Eridan had fallen silent, and that he was staring right back.

This was so fucking stupid. He felt as though he were watching one of Karkat's shitty movies, staring deep into Eridan's eyes as Eridan gazed deeply right back into Sollux's unique ones. Oh, fuck, Karkat…

He hated proving Karkat right. Shit. The second that the little devil finds out about this, Sollux knew that he would never hear the end of it. He would have to prepare himself for the endless 'I-told-you-so's' and the playful, meaningless gay jokes.

But right now, Sollux was finding it difficult to give a fuck. This was stupid, yeah, but that didn't mean that Sollux had any intention of stopping. He looked in between each of Eridan's glistening eyes as Eridan's eyes darted back and forth between each of Sols.

"Hey Sol?" Eridan asked. Sollux was getting so use to Eridan starting conversations that way.

"Hm?"

Eridan blinked a few times. A smile formed on his pink lips, and he leaned slightly over the small table that Sollux and Eridan were seated at. Sollux raised an eyebrow, his gaze not breaking away from the other male's.

"Your eyes are fuckin' perfect," he complimented.

Sollux felt his cheeks heat up slightly from the compliment. His eyes? Eridan use to make fun of his eyes. Sollux hated them, too. It was yet another one of his qualities that made him different, and he hated them. It was though every time he looked in the mirror, beyond his glasses, his blue and brownish-reddish eyes reminded him that he wasn't even close to normal.

"You didn't use to think so," Sollux replied slowly, slightly embarrassed for being embarrassed. Eridan smiled slightly wider.

"I've always thought so. And I think that you should speak with your lis-…"

"Don't say it, Eridan," Sollux warned, and Eridan laughed as he sat back in his seat.

"Alright, alright, I understand. Unlike you, I'm not a hypocrite," Eridan replied, grabbing his empty coffee cup. He stood up and walked over to the wastebasket, tossing it as he headed for the door.

"C'mon, Sol, lets take a walk near the lake," Eridan offered, as Sollux stood up and threw out his trash as well. He followed Eridan out the door, walking close to him as they made their way down the street.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a while. Thoughts swirled around Sollux's mind as he thought about what else there was that he wanted to know about Eridan. There were a lot of things, but he wasn't sure how Eridan would feel about them.

The main thing was his family. Sollux couldn't lie, and say that he wasn't fucking curious about Eridan's mysterious family. He wanted to get away from them, and they obviously treated him like shit. Sollux actually didn't know that for sure, but judging by Eridan's self esteem and judging the way that Eridan reacted around affection or comfort, Sollux would say that his roommate didn't receive much love at home. This made his heart slowly sink, and his emotions darken.

Sollux's home life wasn't too fantastic either. In fact, his home life really, really sucked a fuck for a while, before he was adopted. His new family was great and all, but the lingering of his old life was always present, and he knew that he'd never escape it.

The memories of his past made Sollux furrow his eyebrows in anger and sadness, looking straight down at his shoes. His emotions rose slightly, but not enough that he couldn't control them. He needed to get his mind off of the dark memories. He certainly didn't want Eridan to see a mental breakdown, and he definitely didn't want to ruin this perfect day.

"So when you said that your mom would talk about the ocean and sea creatures to you, you said that she would 'tell us' everything about what she saw. I'm assuming that us includes you, your dad and your…Sister?" Sollux tried, looking back up at Eridan.

"Oh, look at you, smooth criminal. Tryin' to get details out of me? Sly, real sly," Eridan said, looking at Sollux with playfully narrowed eyes, making Sollux smile. Eridan then looked forward again before finishing. "I'm not tellin' you shit, Sol."

Sollux groaned, tipping his head back dramatically.

"You won't even tell me if you have any siblings? Come on, you can at least tell me that," Sollux practically begged. Eridan sighed, crossing his arms uncomfortably as he walked. He looked hesitant, but he spoke nevertheless.

"I have one older sibling," he admitted, and Sollux looked at him curiously.

"Oh, okay, now we're getting somewhere. Guy? Girl? Insert Option C?" Sollux asked, receiving a weird smile from Eridan.

"Option C?" He chuckled. Sollux nodded, smiling slightly in return.

"Life isn't just black and white, Eridan. There can be more than just Guy's and Doll's," he informed, and Eridan chuckled at the movie reference.

"He's not part of the Option C category, Sol," he replied with a smile. His smile then faded, realizing that he slipped. Sollux laughed in response, nudging Eridan with his elbow.

"Don't worry about it, Eridan. Telling me that you have an older brother. Won't bring on the apocalypse," Sollux teased, and Eridan merely huffed. "Will you at least tell me his name?" Sollux added, and Eridan looked down at his shoes, taking on Sol's habit.

"If I tell you, can we get off the subject?" He mumbled. Sol thought about it a moment, then sighed.

"Yes, I suppose," he agreed, and Eridan looked away. He looked as though he were struggling with the name, and Sollux furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Cronus," Eridan said, his voice barely above a whisper, though the distaste was still audible in his tone. "His name is Cronus."

"Interesting," Sollux said slowly. "And do you not get along with Cronus…?"

There was a long silence, and the playful mood slowly began to fall. Sollux knew that this shit must have been serious, but Eridan was treating the subject like it was a piece of the Queen's crystal. Was he just being dramatic, as always, or was his family literally that bad?

"No, I don't get along with Cronus. He's a greaser wanna-be, and he's a dumbass fake. Not only that, but he's a disgusting, selfish prick whose always tried to take everything that's mine. He doesn't have a mind of his own, he does whatever my father tells him, and he has no morals and no conscience," Eridan snapped. "Is that enough information for you?"

Sollux just looked at Eridan in shock, their pace slowing as they entered the park. He hadn't meant to make Eridan so angry…He noted not to bring up Cronus again, and he also noted to just stay away from the subject of Eridan's family. It was obviously a touchier subject than Sollux had begun to realize.

Sollux laid a gentle hand on Eridan's arm, causing the angry male to relax slowly beneath his touch. He looked at him softly, Eridan's cheeks filling slightly from his outburst. He glanced at Sollux, then away, cheeks rosy with slight embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Eridan, I was an asshole. You didn't want to talk about it, and prodding you was a dick-move," Sollux apologized. Eridan sighed, running his fingers through his near perfect hair. He looked tired, and now Sollux really regretted bringing it up.

"Don't worry about it, Sol. I shouldn't have gotten so angry like that. I just…" He looked at Sollux, then away again, choosing his words carefully. "I want to keep you, of all people, out of my family life, okay?" He replied vaguely.

Sollux's curiosity was once again peaked. Damn Eridan, for making everything sound so interesting…He didn't dare ask about his family again, though. He wasn't going to risk another outburst from Eridan. He would just have to live with his curiosity…

"Okay, Eri," Sollux agreed, and this time, the nickname did soften Eridan. Eridan smiled fondly at Sollux.

"So we can walk around the lake for a while. Then we should go people watchin' at the mall, then we can go home and watch movies…"

Eridan went on and on about what he wanted to do with the rest of the day. It was half over already, and Sollux was looking forward to the other half. So far so good, despite the small bump sparked by Sollux's need to know everything. It was as if all of the events of the day led up to that one conversation…Eridan's family wasn't brought up again, but it was still an issue that remained as a shadow over Sollux's mind.